


Follow me

by Ilyasviel



Series: ME Prompts! [2]
Category: Mass Effect Trilogy
Genre: Declarations Of Love, F/M, Fluff, Song Lyrics
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-05
Updated: 2017-09-05
Packaged: 2018-12-24 09:10:37
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,345
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12009591
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ilyasviel/pseuds/Ilyasviel
Summary: The first night Joker and Shepard are aboard the new Normandy, something happens, and Joker rescues Shepard from herself.------Fic insipired in the Lyrics of the song Follow me by Muse





	Follow me

**Author's Note:**

> Song: [Follow me - Muse](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mO49PZwTPco)  
> For [luastardust](https://archiveofourown.org/users/luastardust) and [araxe](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Araxe) Thank you for the support!! (◍•ᴗ•◍)♡ ✧*。

The new Normandy is quieter than the original one. In the helm, the hum of the Ezoo core is almost inexistent. The ship is travelling through space at regular speed. They are still testing the core and the response of the helm and the other systems now that the vessel has left the docks.

Joker is sitting in the pilot chair, hands moving swiftly through the controls and his quick eyes reading the reports of every system. He has been doing it for at least two hours without stop, just since Shepard has come aboard and selected the first destination of the ship after making a quick round around the ship. Just thinking about her and his pulse accelerates. It has been so good seeing her alive and kicking again… The image of her scarred body over the litter, thousands of IVs connected to her. The only signal that she was alive was a soft beep from the heart monitor and the slow and unsteady movement of her chest. God, it has been marvellous seeing her in one piece. Even the angry and red scars on her face were beautiful if they are on her.

His hands had stopped its movements while he gets lost in his thoughts. The sound of the new IA wakes him from his daydreaming. “Mister Moreau. We may have a–” The IA makes a short break before continuing. “problem.”

“What?”

A screen in front of him blinked, changing from the reports of the pressure of the systems, to a general view of the Starboard deck. Shepard is sitting on the ground, with her back leaning on the window, face hiding in the cage of her arms and knees. “Shit. How long has she been there?”

“Almost an hour, Mister Moreau.”

“Fuck! Why didn’t you warned me earlier?” He is already fighting with his legs to stand, even in this comfortable chair, his body hurts like hell if he remains idle for long.

“She seemed in dire need of solitude, Mister Moreau. But enough time has passed to be considered alarming.”

His only answer is a low growl while he takes off his hat to pass a hand over his face. “Alarming, yeah. It’s a good definition. Damn, EDI! Tell me that you at least haven’t ‘warned’ anyone besides me.”

“That is correct, Mister Moreau. I just waked up the night pilot to take your place. I will take the helm until he arrives.”

Joker is already at the door when he stops, turning to face over his shoulder, even knowing that is not necessary. “Thanks, EDI. Don’t let no one disturb us and cut the recording as soon as I walk into the room. Please.”

“Acknowledge, Mister Moreau.”

The blue orb that is the physical presence of EDI at the cockpit disappears as soon as he put a foot outside of it. The ship is running with a minimal crew, and in the night shift, only a couple of persons stay awake, besides him, and as it seems, Shepard. He can’t run, even with the new medication, his bones are still like crystal and can’t put pressure on them, but he tries to walk as quickly as possible to the elevator.

Silence greets him when the door to the mess open, and he tiptoed to the Starboard deck, keeping his steps as silent as possible while passing in front of the crew quarters. EDI must be watching because the door opens before he can touch it, and as soon as he steps inside, the door locking behind him. The room is in darkness. The only light the one from behind the bar. He stays leaning against the door until his eyes grow accustomed to the low illumination. Moving around the couch, he sits on it just in front of her, “Hey, Jen.”

The sound of his voice seems to startle her because she jumps a bit at the sound of her name, breath caught until she saw him sitting in front of her. “Oh, hi.”

Joker pats the couch beside him, “Come here. I can’t sit there with you.” She seems to hesitate, but at last, she crawls awkwardly to sit at his feet, head resting on his leg. “Jen, talk to me, will you?”

“I’m scared. Simply and purely afraid of breathing hard and broke my body. Afraid of falling asleep and didn’t wake up again. Afraid of the darkness that clutches my heart. Afraid of this–” Jen’s hand point to the void outside the window and Joker can feel her tremors through his legs.

Taking a deep breath, he tries to calm himself. Jen needs him, and he will give her whatever she needs to feel better. Joker moves a hand to rest on her hair and begins to pet her. “ I’m here for you, Jen. When darkness falls around you, and you feel like falling, or when you are scared and lost. Be brave, because I’m coming for you. When all your strength has gone, and you felt wrong and depleted of life, just let me hold you. I will guide you back to yourself.”

Jen hugs his legs, face hidden on his knee, but he can feel the subtle telltale of her crying. “Sit up here with me, Jen. I’m in dire need of a hug.” She does it so quickly that he almost didn’t see her face when she hides it in the crook of his neck. He keeps petting her back while she silently cries. “I’m here, Jen. I will not desert you. This two years had taught me that even when your fire’s died out, and they have left you for dead, I kept myself by your side. You can follow me, Jen. I will keep you safe. I will keep you alive. You can trust me on that. I’d lost you once. I will never let you go again. Not without me.”

She is openly crying, the sobs of her voice filling the little space and breaking the hard armour that Joker has constructed around his heart over the last years. She hugs him while crying, and he returns the gesture, planting a soft kiss on the top of her head.

Time passes, and she regains control of her emotions slowly, until she stops crying, her breathing slowing to a reasonable pace. Her arms are still around Joker’s upper body, and he keeps petting her back. At last, she stands slowly, never leaving his embrace completely. “Why now, Jeff?”

His free hand moves to cup her face, wiping away her tears with a thumb. “I lost you once. I know you will not feel the same for me, but I want you to know that I’m here, for you. As always have been. I–”

Joker world is outside down right now because she is kissing him. Jennifer Shepard, Alliance Commander, First human Spectre, Savior of the Citadel, is kissing him, the creepy pilot who works for a terrorist organisation. He takes too much time in react, and she begins to retreat, eyes lowered avoiding his face. Before she can go farther, he captures her head with his hands and gives her the sweetest kiss she ever had. The hair of her beard ticklish her, but is a feeling that makes her smile into the kiss, and he returns the gesture.

When she moves away from him, he let her go reluctantly. At least, if this has to be the only kiss they will share, it has been one to remember. She sits back, a little smile on her face. Raising a hand, she stoles the hat from his head and put it on on hers. “Thank you, Jeff. I’m feeling better already.” When he tries to recover his hat, she slaps his hand softly. “No. That will be your penance for keeping me waiting since Arcturus.” Her words sink slowly on Joker’s heart, and he can swear that he feels it growing inside his chest. Leaning against his shoulder, she wraps an arm around it. “Lead the way. I will follow you.”


End file.
